Rail-torpedo.



B. G. VINSON.

RAIL TORPEDO.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 17, 1912.

Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

EIE E I Qwumtoz i5. & Vawam WbtmeW COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH c0 WASHINGTON D c BIRD G. VINSON, OF ROSEBUBJG, OREGON.

RAIL-TORPEDD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 3, 191 1.

Application filed August 17, 1912. Serial No. 715,685.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that. I, BIRD G. VINSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Roseburg, in the county of Douglas, State of Oregon, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Rail-Torpedoes, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to torpedoes for use in railway signaling and has for its object to provide a construction in which the torpedo, comprising the rail engaging and charge-supporting means and the explosive charge may be separately and cheaply constructed and then assembled, and in Which means are provided for preventing accidental displacement of the torpedo by the advancing wheels of the locomotive or car so that failure of signaling is eliminated.

In order that the invention may be understood by those skilled in the art I have illustrated in the accompanying drawing one embodiment of my invention in which Figure l is a plan view of the blank from which the torpedo support is made. Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the device in position on a rail. Fig. 3 is a sectional view through a rail showing the torpedo in position.

Referring to the drawings by numbers, like numbers indicating like parts in the several views, A indicates the supporting plate for the explosive charge, this support being formed preferably of a single fiat plate of sheet metal of approximately the width of the top of the rail and of any desired length. Extending from the sides of said plate are the rail clips a, designed to be bent clownwardly and inwardly to engage beneath the bead or top of the rail, as shown in Fig. I, to hold the plate A in position. The eX- plosive charge 6, which may be of any suitable material, is placed centrally of the plate A in line with the clips a and is held in place by means of charge securing clips 0 which are stamped out of the main plate and bent upwardly toward each other, as best shown in Fig. 1, to grip the explosive charge 5 and maintain it in proper position.

It will be observed that the ends (Z of the supporting plate A extend a considerable distance in either direction from the explosive charge 5, to form tread-straps, and

that these ends cl will be first engaged by the advancing wheels. As these portions of the support are very thin and lie close to the rail, they will be readily and securely caught and held by the advancing wheel, and there is consequently no danger of the torpedo being pushed from the rail in event of the rail being wet or slippery from any cause, but the entire device will be held in proper position for the passing of the wheel over the charge I), and its explosion will be insured.

I am aware that torpedoes have been heretofore provided with tread straps adapted to be engaged by the advancing wheels, but so far as I am advised I am the first to form a torpedo of a supporting plate having railengaging clips and struck up charge-securing clips, as shown and described.

The construction which I have devised is such that the supporting plate or carrier may be readily stamped from thin sheet metal and these plates may be shipped in fiat condition and assembled with the explosive charges, which may be separately made, at any desired point. Furthermore the carrier is adaptable to explosive charges of various kinds which may be readily secured between the clips provided for that purpose, and it will be obvious'that the character of the clips may be changed to accommodate them to the particular shape of explosive charge used without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim 1. A railway torpedo comprising a thin plate having rail-engaging clips extending from the sides thereof and charge-securing clips thereon at points removed from its ends, to provide flat tread-straps at either end, and an explosive charge centrally placed on said plate and held by said securing clips.

2. A railway torpedo comprising a thin plate having rail-engaging clips extending from the sides thereof and integral chargesecuring clips struck from the body of the plate at points removed from the ends to provide flat tread-straps at either end, and an explosive charge centrally placed on said plate and held in place by the bent up integral securing clips.

3. A railway torpedo comprising a thin plosive charge centrally of said plate and pllate of sheet metal havingg1 rail-engaging held in place by said integral securing clips.

c ias rcjectin r from its mid le at each side T the redi'f and iiitegral charge-securing clips 5 stamped from the body of the plate at its center and bendable toward each other to form a charge receiving keeper, and an ex- \Vitnesses:

ELBERT B. HERMANN, BINGER HERMANN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

